Consumer Reports names RAV4 its top small SUV and we celebrate five cool Pontiacs

RAV4 takes top seat in small SUV rankings
The freshened four-cylinder Toyota RAV4 was named top small SUV in April tests by Consumer Reports. The RAV4 was praised for the smoother, quieter engine it received for 2009 and its fuel economy, which at 23 mpg overall is the best of any automatic, nonhybrid SUV Consumer Reports has tested. The Subaru Forester 2.5X was a close second, scoring slightly better than the RAV4 on its road test. The Forester also had a slightly more comfortable ride, but is priced higher than the RAV4.

NBC photo

A pop culture history of the Pontiac
After last week's announcement that General Motors is killing off the Pontiac brand, we thought it only right to celebrate the great muscular, noisy, V-8-powered vehicles immortalized in song and movies. Five great Pontiacs: 5. Burt Reynolds' red Trans Am in 1978's "Hooper." 4. Jim Garner's Firebird in the 1970s TV series "The Rockford Files." 3. The "Little GTO" of the 1964 pop classic by Ronny and the Daytonas. 2. Burt Reynolds' black Trans Am in 1977's "Smokey and the Bandit." 1. Talking Trans-Am K.I.T.T. from 1980s TV series "Knight Rider."